Booster construction



March 30, 1954 P.. o. DERRINGER BOOSTER CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 19, 1951 PETE 5)/ Q, i.. @6M/s N y 5 d, E, mm M 0. m /O H Patented Mar. 30, 1954 UNITED ST ENT OFFICE BOOSTER CONSTRUCTION Pete O. Derringer, St. Louis, Mo., assigner to Loose Leaf Metals Company, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Z Claims.

The present invention relates generally to loose leaf metal construction, and more particularly to an improved booster construction forming part of a loose leaf metal.

Briefly, the present novel booster construction includes a booster member which is disposed between a pair of abutting arch supporting plates and a spring base. A tongue is struck down wardly from the main body of the booster and engages in an aperture in the spring' base to prevent withdrawal of the booster member from operative position. Slotting or the spring shield of the metal is eliminated.

Therefore, an obect of the present invention is to provide a novel booster construction which may be readily assembled by insertion of the booster member between the spring and the pair of abutting arch supporting plates and in which the booster member is retained against accidental withdrawal by a simple tongue and aperture relationship.

Another object is to provide a simpliiieol, sturdy booster construction in which the booster member is readily placed in operative position and is in abutting relation with the end of the spring shield.

Another object is to provide a novel booster construction which is both sturdy to give long, trouble-free use, and simple in form to achieve economy in manufacture.

Another object is to provide a novel booster construction in which the booster member forms the end closure for the metal, thereby providing a neat and attractive unit at minimum cost.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages are apparent from the following description taken with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan incorporating the struction;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational View thereof;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view thereof;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary plan View of the loose leaf metal of Fig. i, illustrating one end thereof, portions of the spring shield being broken away for clarity of detail therebeneath, and a portion of the spring base being in cross section;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal cross-sectional View taken on substantially the line 5- 5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken on substantially the line li-ii ct Fig. 4:

Fig. '7 is a cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 5, but illustrating the parts in open position;

view of an assembled metal present novel booster con'- i known, the metal it includes Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 6, but illustrating the parts in open position; and

Fig. 9 is an isometric view of the present booster member.

Referring to the drawing more particularly by reference numerals, lil indicates generally a loose leaf metal incorporating the present novel booster construction which is generally designated by the reference numeral I2. As is well a spring shield lll, spring base I6 having turned in edges nested within the shield lil as is clear from Figs. 6 and 8, and abutting arch supporting plates I8 each of which carries a plurality of arch segments 20. rThe plates i8 are disposed within the spring base iii in the usual manner for over-center movement in the opening of the arch segments 2l) from the closed positions of Fig. 6 to the open positions or" Fig. 8.

The booster construction l2 is provided for opening the arch segments 20 for the removal or insertion of loose sheets and includes a booster member 22 of the configuration clearly shown in Fig. 9 and an aperture 24 in the spring base I5. In the drawing, there are two booster constructions l2 which are identical, so that only one is described.

As is manifest from Fig. 9, the booster member 22 includes a main body portion 26 which is arcuate to conform to the arcuate cross section of the spring base I6, as is clear from Figs. 5 and 6. The main body portion 26 includes shoulders 23 which engage the undersides of the turned in edges 5u at the end of the spring base l5 which are separated from the main inturned edges 52 by a notch 5 l. A turned-up free nose portion 30 engages the undersides of the plates i3 along the abutting line thereof, and the booster member further includes a downwardly struck tongue 32, and an oval-shaped aperture 3ft. A thumb portion 35 extends at right angles from the main body portion 2t and includes a lower part 38 dened by an arcuate shoulder il@ which closes the end of the metal it, as is clear from Fig. 5.

The nesting arrangement of the booster member 22 between the spring base IS and the plates i?, is clearly shown in Figs. 5 and 6. The downwardly struck tongue 32 engages in the aperture 24! which may be somewhat wider than the tongue 32 in order to assure adequate tolerance and positive engagement of the tongue 32 in the aperture 2li. rThe opening Bil aligns with opening si in the spring base lE and opening 44 in the spring shield i4 for the reception of the usual binder elements, such as a rivet, by means of which the metal l is secured into a suitable cover or the like. Since the aperture 34 is oval in shape, there is no binding when the booster member 22 is pivoted to the position of Fig. 7 in the separation of the arch segments 20. It is to be noted that the booster member 22 pivots upon the free end edge of the spring base I6 (Fig. '7).

It is palpable that assembly of the present booster member 22 with the metal l0 is reduced to the simple operation of inserting the former so that its shoulders 28 are placed between the turned in ears 50 of the spring base I6 and the nose 3D engages the undersides of plates i8 until the tongue 32 snaps into the aperture 24. The booster member 22 is then ready for operation and readily separates the arch segments 2U mounted on plates I8 upon outward movement of the thumb portion 35 in the usual manner of booster operation. In this operation the booster member pivots on the free end of the spring base I6 and the shoulders 28 engage the turned in ears 59 of the spring base I6 and function to facilitate the over-center operation of the plates I8 by spreading apart the spring base back of the slot i so that a firm engagement of the booster member is eiected with the ears 50. This makes possible a snap action operation when the overcenter operation is brought about since the main inturned ears 50 still exert a pressing force on the plates i8. Manifestly, the booster member 22 will not be accidentally dislodged from its operating position before the cover or back is attached by the usual rivets or the like.

It is apparent that there has been provided a novel booster construction which fulfills the objects and advantages sought therefor.

It is to be understood that the foregoing description and the accompanying drawing have been given by way of illustration and example. It is also to be understood that changes in form of the elements, rearrangement of parts, and substitution of equivalent elements, which will be obvious to those skilled in the art, are contemplated as within the scope of the present invention which is limited only by the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a loose leaf metal including a spring base having a turned in portion and opposed arch segment supporting plates l mounted in said spring base for over-center movement, of a booster member including a. thumb portion, and a main body portion adapted for pivotal movement disposed between said spring base and the turned in portion of said spring base, said spring base having an aperture therein adjacent the end, said main body portion having a depending portion extending into said aperture and maintaining said booster member against longitudinal withdrawal in the pivoted and unpivoted position, said main body portion being of transverse arcuate cross section and nesting in said spring base and including side shoulders engaging the undersides of the turned in portion of said spring base when the metal is in closed position.

2. In combination with a loose leaf metal including an arcuate spring base having opposed turned in edges with a notch in each edge spaced adjacent the end of said spring base, the turned in portions between the notches and the end of the spring base constituting ears, opposed arch segment supporting plates mounted in said spring base for over-center movement, a booster member including a thumb portion and a main body portion disposed for pivotal movement between said spring base and said turned in portion of said spring base, said spring base having an aperture therein adjacent the end, said main body portion having a depending portion extending into said aperture and maintaining said booster member against longitudinal withdrawal in the pivoted and unpivoted positions, said main body portion being of transverse arcuate cross section and nesting in said spring base and including side shoulders engaging the undersides of said spring base ears for firm engagement therewith in both the pivoted and unpivoted positions without detracting from the over-center movement of said supported plates when the booster member is operated to the pivoted position.

PETE O. BEHRINGER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 943,156 McMillan et al Dec. 14, 1909 985,282 Pitt Feb. 28, 191i 1,183,083 Krumming May 16, 1916 1,662,303 Dawson Mar. 13, 1928 

